Keep/Loan/Sell Ahead of the 2022/23 Season

Let’s take a quick look at the Arsenal squad ahead of the 2022/23 season and decide on whether we should keep/loan/sell each player.

Goalkeeper: Aaron Ramsdale – Keep

There’s no real need to explain this one. At just 24 years old, Aaron Ramsdale will keep on improving and could be our number one goalkeeper for the next decade or more.

Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno – Sell

Bernd lost his place to Ramsdale in September of last year and failed to take it back from his fellow goalkeeping competitor for the remainder of the season. After four seasons in North London, it seems like it’s the right time for both parties to part ways and allow the German to join a team where he will be #1. Benfica/Fulham are heavily linked to the 30-year-old, and Arsenal are likely to receive a fee in the region of £6 – £10M, whilst Matt Turner is set to become our second-choice goalie moving forward. Thanks for the saves, Bernd.

Goalkeeper: Alex Runarsson – Sell

After a poor debut season, which featured the Icelandic goalkeeper making a comical error in our 4-1 Carabao Cup quarter-final loss to Manchester City, Runarsson was sent on loan last season to Belgian side OH Leuven. At the end of the day, the 27-year-old is nowhere near good enough to play for Arsenal and should be sold for any amount of money we can get in the summer.

Goalkeeper: Arthur Okonkwo – Loan

The 20-year-old goalkeeper is likely to be sent on loan for the 2022/23 season, with Karl Hein likely to be moved up into the senior squad to join Matt Turner and Aaron Ramsdale. The 6ft5 shot stopper will benefit greatly from a loan spell where he plays more regularly at a respectable level. 20 years of age for a goalkeeper is like 15 for an outfielder, and Okonkwo has a lot of potential and a lot of time to try to move up in the ranks at Arsenal. 

Defender: Gabriel Magalhaes – Keep

The Brazilian defender has had two solid seasons in North London and is only getting better. There’s no real need to explain this one.

Defender: Ben White – Keep

Our most expensive defender ever had a bright debut season last year and formed a strong partnership with fellow 24-year-old centre half Gabriel. Again, there’s no real need to explain this one.

Defender: William Saliba – Keep

It’s pretty crazy to think that we officially signed William Saliba three summers ago, yet we’re still yet to see him play a professional game for the club. After another successful season on loan with Marseille which saw the Frenchman win the award for Ligue 1’s Young Player of the Season, there’s no doubt about it that Saliba has to return to North London for the upcoming season. With the club back in the Europa League, the number of games we have next season will be increased, and we need as much quality as the back as we can get. Saliba is one of the best young defenders in Europe, and is admittedly eager to show his worth in the best league in the world. Mikel Arteta will have to find a way to incorporate the 21-year-old into his side and it will be interesting to see how he does it after the partnership that Gabriel and White formed last season. It’s time that we see him playing in red and white.

Defender: Rob Holding – Keep

The 26-year-old had a decent season as our back-up centre-half (if you completely erase the Tottenham game from your memory). With experience, seniority and willingness to be a back-up, Rob is a good squad member to have, despite his weaknesses ability wise. It’s likely that he will be utilised in the UEL group stages and early rounds of the Cups.

Defender: Pablo Mari – Sell

While we’ve definitely had worse defenders, Pablo Mari is one which we should be happy to sell in the summer. The 28-year-old has proved that he’s not good enough to be first choice for us at the back, and it seems like he wants regular first-team football, which he won’t be getting for us. A move away seems best for both the player and the club.

Defender: Takehiro Tomiyasu – Keep

The 23-year-old had a great debut season and looked calm, assured and comfortable from the moment he made his debut at The Emirates back in September. Hopefully he stays injury free for the majority of the 2022/23 season. Obvious keep.

Defender: Cedric Soares – Keep

Despite limitations in his ability, Cedric is a decent squad player to have who can play in various positions across the backline when needed. The 30-year-old is likely to remain as our back-up right back for the 2022/23 season and it’s unlikely the club splashes out on a replacement for him.

Defender: Kieran Tierney – Keep

Our future captain if he can manage to sort out his recurring fitness issues. KT is a top player in terms of both professionality and ability. While his injury issues are so frustrating, we just can’t sell the 25-year-old who is about to enter his fourth season at the club. The onus should be on the club to sign a competent deputy left-back this summer who can fill in for Tierney when his inevitable injury problems do arise. Easy keep.

Defender: Nuno Tavares – Loan

There are not many players in the Arsenal squad who would benefit more from a loan spell than Nuno Tavares. Raw, rash and full of enthusiasm, the Portuguese full-back would gain invaluable experience from a season-long loan and hopefully iron out some of the mistakes in his game.

Defender: Hector Bellerin – Sell

Hector Bellerin ‘has no plans to continue at Arsenal next season’ according to Fabrizio Romano, and after the performances of Takehiro Tomiyasu this season, the club are likely to green-light an exit for the 27-year-old. Hector had a solid season on loan at Betis last season and it is rumoured that he will make a permanent move to the Spanish side if a fee can be agreed with Arsenal. The cockney Spaniard will be missed around the place and we should hopefully receive a decent fee for him.

Defender/Midfielder: Ainsley Maitland-Niles – Sell

Mikel Arteta has never really given Ainsley a run of games in the side, and after his plea for more game-time ahead of the 2021/22 season wasn’t really granted, the 24-year-old was eventually loaned out to Roma in January. However, the Arsenal academy graduate only featured 12 times for the Jose Mourinho’s side and once again found himself spending the majority of his time sitting on the bench. Although his versatility can be seen as an advantage, it can also work against him; AMN is about to turn 25 and we still don’t know what his best/favoured position is. I think it’s time to cash in on the Englishman, who doesn’t seem to be Arteta’s cup of tea, and doesn’t seem to be happy being a squad player.

Midfielder: Thomas Partey – Keep

No need to explain this one. Hopefully this is the season that Partey consistently hits top gear for us and stays injury free. We saw shades of it last season, let’s hope 2022/23 is the Ghanaian’s season.

Midfielder: Granit Xhaka – Sell

Despite coming off the back of his one of better seasons in North London, it’s time for Arsenal to sell the 29-year-old Swiss midfielder. If we’re serious about improving on our 5^th-position finish next season then Granit Xhaka’s position is one that the club should be spending a significant amount of money to upgrade on. Sell and recoup some of the £35M fee we paid for him back in 2016.

Midfielder: Martin Ødegaard – Keep

No explanation needed.

Midfielder: Emile Smith Rowe – Keep

Emile became the first Arsenal player to hit 10 Premier League goals before the age of 22 last season, and well and truly proved that he can hack playing regular first-team football for The Arsenal. He’ll be hoping he can nail down a spot in our starting XI and improve on his direct goal contributions even further in the 22/23 season.

Midfielder: Mohamed Elneny – Keep

Recently signed an extension to continue his role as a back-up midfield option. Adds experience and maturity to our youthful squad and is a valued member of the team on and off the pitch. Keep.

Midfielder: Lucas Torreira – Sell

The only reason this is a sell is because the tenacious Uruguayan midfielder isn’t fancied by Mikel Arteta and doesn’t seem to work in the system that he plays. I still have a soft spot for Torreira. He is hard-working, talented and adds bite to the midfield. I’ll never forget his goal against Spurs in that 4-2 derby win which saw him win his 3^rd MOTM in 4 appearances. Hopefully we can receive a decent fee for him and re-invest the money into another midfielder who Arteta will play next to Partey.

Midfielder: Matteo Guendouzi – Sell

Again, this is only a sell because Arteta doesn’t seem to fancy the player. Despite his well-publicised attitude challenges, I like Matteo Guendouzi a lot. The 23-year-old is positive in possession, has an excellent engine and plays with passion and heart. He’s likely to join Marseille on a permanent deal and hopefully we can get a decent fee for the talented young French international.   

Midfielder: Albert Sambi Lokonga – Keep (*Loan if enough midfield bodies)

Sambi would probably benefit from a loan spell to a side where he would be playing more regularly. However, whether this is an option or not depends largely on whether we have enough bodies in midfield heading into the 2022/23 season. With Partey’s recent injury worries, Xhaka’s susceptibility to suspension and the fact that we will probably be selling a few midfielders in the upcoming window, it’s probably more likely that we keep Sambi around for next season. However, if we have enough numbers, I do think a loan would be the optimal option.

Midfielder: Charlie Patino – Loan

I don’t think a teenage midfielder coming out of Hale End has been raved about more than young Charlie Patino since Jack Wilshere over a decade ago. There’s no doubt about it, Patino would benefit greatly from a loan spell where he features regularly for a side as opposed to making a handful of starts and appearances off the bench for us next season. He’s only 18 and would gain vital experience and get some much-needed senior minutes under his belt. He has more than enough seasons ahead of him to break through into the Arsenal midfield, but next season is one he should be spending on loan.

Forward: Bukayo Saka – Keep

Next..

Forward: Gabriel Martinelli – Keep

Next..

Forward: Reiss Nelson – Sell

Once touted as the next best thing to come out of Hale End, Reiss’ career hasn’t exactly panned out as expected. The 22-year-old has been overtaken in the Arsenal young star rankings by Saka, Martinelli, Ødegaard, Smith Rowe and more, and finds himself far away from the starting XI. The time is probably now to cash in on the youngster who needs to improve on his direct goal contributions and impose his will on games more.

Forward: Eddie Nketiah – Keep

Recently signed a new contract and will be used in the UEL, the cups (especially the Carabao!) and will likely be second or third fiddle to whichever marquee striker we sign in the Premier League.

Forward: Folarin Balogun – Loan

A loan seems like the only option for Balogun in the 2022/23 season, as Arsenal will definitely sign at least one striker this Summer and have recently signed up Eddie Nketiah to a lucrative new deal.

Forward: Nicolas Pepe – Sell

Sadly, the Nicolas Pepe story hasn’t been a fairy-tale one in North London. Arsenal’s most expensive signing ever will go down, probably harshly, as a failure. There’s a lot of talent there and he will probably flourish in a system that suits him better than ours. Hopefully we can salvage a decent portion of the £72M fee that we paid for him back in 2019.

Recap:

Total Players Reviewed: 30

Total Keeps: 16

Total Loans: 4

Total Sells: 10